Page 10 of The Other Princess

“I mean, I told them about themselves last night, and how I wasn’t sure I wanted to even be one of them anymore, because I’ll be damned if I want to be associated with a bunch of assholes who would treat an innocent little girl the way they’ve all apparently treated you all these years.”

“Huh,” I huffed out, not having expected that at all. It had been a long time since anyone but Lucy had been in my corner. Toby still tried once in a while, but not when it came to a brother. He never would say anything against them no matter what.

“You should know, my mom left with me after you did. She rode off on the back of my bike. I’m thinking that killed something in my dad, because she’s never ridden with anyone but him before. She chewed their asses out too, Ever. Her heart’s broken, because she feels like she lost a daughter when everything happened with Jay.”

I sighed and just leaned back further into the squishy futon. “I don’t know what to say here, because I’m sorry she was hurt in all this, but I couldn’t be around her because she was always with your dad and Jay. It was just too much.”

“I get it. After hearing everything, and seeing what you’ve been through, I get that, and so does mom. She doesn’t blame you at all. She blames them, and she told them all as much before she left.”

I nodded my head and just stared off into space for a bit letting everything he was saying settle in. “Why did you say anything to them?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I can’t believe no one else has done it sooner. Jesus, Ever, you never did anything to deserve the way any of them has treated you. Most of all, my dumb ass brother, and all the bullshit he put off on you. I read every one of your letters, honey. At least, until you stopped sending them.”

I cringed, thinking of all the things I’d said and complained about in those letters to him. Sure, I’d mailed them to him, but I didn’t always get a response so somewhere in my head it felt more like writing a page in a diary that a real person would never see. “I stopped doing a lot of things around that time. I hope you didn’t take it personally.”

“Well, I took it personally for a while, because when I asked the family what was up with you, Jay told me you two were fighting, and I wondered why the hell you had to take it out on me. Now, I get it. He had all the brothers turned against you. Why would you think I was any different?”

“I guess I did kind of feel like that.”

“I am different, Ev. Had I known…” His voice trailed off as I lifted my hand in an effort to stop his speech.

“No use living in the past. What’s done is done, and neither of us can change that shit now. Thank you for sticking up for me last night. Let your mom know I appreciate it too.”

“Sounds like I’m being dismissed?” It came out as more of a question. I faked a yawn and looked him in the eye.

“I’m just really tired. I had a long night, and I’ve been working all day. I still have to organize all my stuff tomorrow, so if you don’t mind…”

He stood from the futon and moved until he was just in front of me. “Ever, you will always have me, no matter what. My loyalty isn’t to the brotherhood the way theirs is. Sometimes there are more important things in this life, and I’m guessing after last night a few of the MC brothers are starting to realize that. You have more than just Lucy in your corner, okay?”

I nodded my head to Deck before tipping it back so that I could look up at him. A weak attempt at a smile placated him a bit and he started for the door that would lead back down to the shop. “There’s a side door there, if you want to avoid going through the shop,” I informed him as I pointed to the door that lead to the outside stairs.

“Call if you need anything,” he offered and then he was gone. I was left wondering what I was supposed to do with the wall I’d built around my heart, because there was no way Deck could scale that sucker, and it probably wasn’t fair to ignore him because of what all his club brothers had done to me. That would be the pot calling the kettle black for sure. Still, I didn’t think I had it in me to trust a soul who wore the Aces High Patch on their kutte.

Chapter 5

~ Ever ~

Ever’s therapy session – 19 years old.

Dr. Cindy Thompson was watching me as I fidgeted in the same chair I always occupied when I came to her office. I hadn’t been here much in the past six months, because I didn’t feel like I needed the weekly sessions that I used to have with her when all my troubles were fresh and seemed never ending. After the last couple days and my confusion over Deck actually standing up for me, I decided it was worth a visit and Cindy worked me in pretty quickly.

“Did something happen, Ever?”

“Doesn’t something always happen? Honestly, I feel like you should be tired of hearing me whine about my life at this point.”

“You know I’ll never be tired of hearing from you, and besides, it’s not whining. You’re dealing with the things in your life in a healthy way. So, tell me what’s going on with you these days. It’s been,” she stopped to look down at her notes. “Wow, it’s been two months since you’ve been in. What changed?”

“Declan Donovan came home,” I informed her.

“Declan, the older brother of Jay? Isn’t he the one in the Army that you told me you used to write to?”

“Yep, that would be him.”

“Why did Declan coming home lead to you here? He didn’t pick up where his brother left off two years ago, did he?” Dr. Thompson was supposed to stay neutral, but every now and again I caught her defensiveness of me coming out, and this was one of those times.

“Just the opposite, actually.” I told her all about Declan’s party and how he told the whole MC off for how they had been treating me. Lucy had filled me in on exactly what he’d said after I left. Once I learned that both Declan and his mom had left the party – one held in his honor – shortly after I did, I had broken down and called Lucy. “So, that’s the gist of it. He stood up for me in a way none of the brothers have ever done. It was something I thought my father and my brother should have done when everything started, or even when everyone treated me differently from the beginning. Neither of them ever did though. I almost wish I had been there to see it happen for myself, because otherwise it’s almost unbelievable, you know?”

“Ever, let’s talk about something different for a minute, because I don’t think you’ve ever explained it. We were always so focused on the incident with Jay being the catalyst for all your issues that we never went back further, and from what you’re telling me, everything goes back far beyond the incident in high school. I want you to tell me about the first time you remember being called ‘the other princess’; and how it made you feel then.”

---